It required us to pluck up some strength in the first place to even go along to the Show Day our local Cats Protection had organised. I'm sure you understand, mixed emotions with the constant voice inside your head telling us that we are not replacing Jameson, but merely offering a loving home to other cats in need. Etc etc.
After having been a member here for over a year now, I have on a daily basis read and understood that cats can be perfectly happy indoors, although that was something I never 'agreed' with as such, and still to this day I believe cats should have the outdoor option - in an ideal world. We learned the hard way, and now I know that it really depends on where you live and your circumstances. It took me a LOT of thinking to even let the words ''indoor cats'' slip through my lips, but that combined with my love for cats changed my mind about a lot of things. For one- I/we can now imagine having indoor cats. Something you would never in a million years time hear us say a few weeks ago, especially not Robin who grew up with cats on the countryside, all living long and healthy lives going outdoors, doing what cats do.
But when we turned up at the Show today, I was quite surprised and disappointed at the reactions from the rehoming staff when we said we were looking for Indoor cats. The first person almost frowned and explained that it wouldn't be fair on the cats, and that it is natural for cats to go outside. As if I don't know that! I explained that a few weeks ago I would have whole hearted agreed, but that unfortunately we lost our cat to the road. I explained (while trying hard not to break into tears) that we wanted to rehome 2 cats as a pair, and the younger they were the more we felt that they would adopt to indoor life, and the less they would 'miss' the outdoors. I said we have looked into catproofing the garden, but because of the weird layout (we live on lower ground floor, with garden a few steps up (street level) - so next door lower ground neighbours roof is easily accessed by cats and nearly impossible to catproof). She disagreed. She said they will simply not rehome young cats to indoor homes only as it's not fair to them. I did feel hurt, not in a personal way but more in a ''don't you understand, we are cat lovers and we have a safe and loving forever home to offer'' kind of way.
Next person we spoke to gave us a very similar reaction when we said we were looking for 2 indoor cats, preferably very young ones. She tried giving us the argument that cats over 4 years old are 'safe' to let outdoors as they hardly stray and mostly stay on the garden. It annoyed me, I told her that I rather not chance it and risk losing another one - what is the guarantee that a 4 year+ old cat is going to be safe outside?? Robin firmly had to tell her that he was not prepared to risk going through the same heartache of losing a beloved friend and face burying another healthy young cat by using her logic.
It puzzled us - they don't rehome young cats as indoors only as they should be allowed outside, but cats over 4 years old are 'safe' to let outside. What about those 4 years in between? Are people expected to let their young non-streetwise cats outside and just HOPE that they don't get run over?
Don't get me wrong, we did speak to a few lovely people, who explained about catproofing and even offered us to come round to have a look at their cat proofed gardens. That is all great, but even if there was a way of cat proofing ours, it would still take some time and money, and it's not something we can afford time & money wise at this minute, a work in progress possibly, but it's not the next top priority on our to-do list.
We even had 2 cats (brothers!) choosing us - Robin was absolutely besotted with them. A tabby and Black, 6 months old. They pretty much went up to R and rubbed themselves against his arm. The black boy rolled over on his back (like Jameson used to do) and let R stroke his belly. The rehoming lady said she would have no problem letting us take them, but only if we could let them outside. Shame - as right now we just can't.
The whole experience admittedly left us feeling a bit disappointed. We had assumed that by us offering a safe, loving indoor home would had been welcomed with open arms by them, knowing the cats would be loved and safe for the rest of their lives. Instead, some of the staff made us feel that we were being cruel even considering keeping them indoors. It is a huge thing for us and even feels very weird talking about indoor cats, as we both believe in letting cats do what is natural to them, chasing mice, lounging around, sniffing things.. And whenever we move (maybe in 3-5 years time) hopefully it will be in a safe-r place (planning to go further out towards countryside!) and maybe by then we can either have the garden catproofed or make a decision there and then whether it would be safe to let them outside. But that is far away and we want to live in the now. The outside road is supposed to be a residential road but the traffic is crazy. The more we think about it the more we realise how dangerous it is. It's as if something has gone 'click' in our brains and we opened our eyes.
We were told to look for a blind or deaf cat, or one with an illness. And we understand that those cats also deserve a loving home, but what we need right now is to bring back some of that young-cat energy back to our house, that is so quiet and empty without Jameson, and we would love 2 little terrors, we are looking for young-ish kittens simply put!
Anyway sorry for rambling on - I just assumed that rescues would understand about the Indoor thing and we didn't expect that reaction from them. We are just feeling a bit disheartened I guess.
Are there any rescues for indoor cats only, because I rather not go to Battersea to hear the same thing, making me feel like I'm doing something wrong by choosing to keep them indoors.
Rant over.
